Come tell us a story
Come tell us your creative story and see your work in print
Notes is introducing a new page to encourage readers to employ their writing skills on general topics unrelated to their regular syllabus. The idea is to make use of Notes and Gulf News to hone your creative writing talent, improve your vocabulary and gain a better grasp of the English language by writing a short story.
To guide you along, we are providing a number of free writing ideas based on articles that have appeared in the main edition of Gulf News and in Notes. Web links are provided to these articles in case you missed them in print.
The ideas and the articles themselves are to help you write your short story.
Guidelines
- The maximum word length is 500 words.
- Give your full name, age, the major/grade you are studying in; the name of your college/school along with the emirate, where you are based.
- Please send your stories to education@gulfnews.com
- You have two weeks to send in your writing.
Your deadline: Sunday, September 23, 2007. - The most interesting stories will be published in Notes, issue dated October 7, 2007. Stories that cannot be accommodated on page will be posted on the Notes website www.notes.ae.
- Keep reading Notes — both to read your work and see what's in store for you next. You are welcome to send in suggestions about the kind of writing genre you are interested in. Happy writing.
Writing tips
How to begin
Once you have decided that you want to write, then how do you go about it? This is actually the easiest part.
Just sit down and start writing. There is no other way. That is why Flaubert said: "Talent is long patience." And anyone who has reached where you have in the current educational system, has already proved that patience and persistence are among your top virtues.
Story writing
There is no 'right' way to begin a story. Some of you may look at the story outlines we have provided and think of what happens next; some may think in terms of characters; some others may think about the theme first and then build the rest of the story around it.
These are some of the elements you need to think about:
- Who takes part in your story?
- Who are the characters? What are their names?
- How old are they? What do they look like? How do they behave?
- Is there some special characteristic you want each of them to have?
- You might want to write in the first person.
- What do the characters you have created and named do to make the story move? Remember, a short story is not just one incident. So although you may have the first situation given to you, you have to build on it.
- Why did all this happen? Why could mean the reason something happened in your story or why could mean the theme of your story or the moral of your story even if the moral is not written in so many words.
- Where is your story taking place? Is it an imaginary place? Is it a place you know well? Wherever you decide to set your story, remember to make it authentic.
- When is your story taking place? In which time period? Is it the present? Is it a short while ago? Is it 30-40 years ago or even longer? Is it the future?
Those questions, in brief, are what you can think about first. You have decided on your plot (who, what, how), you have decided on your setting (where, when), and you have built all this into your theme.
Now get down to writing.
To make your story interesting try to:
- Grab the interest of your reader right at the beginning of your story;
- Use dialogue and little details to lighten your story and retain interest;
- Think of a catchy title,
- Think of something different to focus on, a surprise ending or an unexpected twist.
Idea: 1
Articles to read:
'Egyptian blogger first to win journalism award'; Gulf News August 31
Weblink: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles
/07/08/31/10150346.html
'Plans galore as luck favours auto mechanic'; August 31
Weblink: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/
07/08/31/10150429.html
'Beautiful Lady'; September 1
Weblink: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/
07/09/01/10150690.html
Imagine that you, or the main character in your story, have won the first prize in a talent show (elocution, story writing, poetry, singing, etc). Another participant, who didn't win, accuses you/your character of having cheated. It results in a fight/argument backstage even as the awards ceremony is taking place. Suddenly there is a crash, a woman's frightened scream is heard above the noise of the crowd …
Idea: 2
Articles to read:
'More than 100 troops abducted as militants ambush convoy'; Gulf News August 31;
Weblink: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/
07/08/31/10150414.html
'Teenager bailed in Rhys Jones murder'; August 31;
Weblink: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/
07/08/31/10150432.html
Imagine you (or your character) is an unwitting witness to a crime (either within a building or outside on the road or in the countryside). There are people around but their attention is focused on something else (specify).
You (your main character) notice something very strange — think you see someone you recognise leaving the scene with something incongruous in their hand (for example, a large man clutching a doll.) Develop your story further.
Start writing...
Now develop a short story using this information as a take-off point.
Tips
You have:
Your characters (Who)
You have to:
Name them, maybe add one or two more, develop them, make them act
You have:
The situation (What happens)
You have to:
Develop it, make exciting additions
You have:
An extra factor (eg: Woman's scream in Idea: 1)
You have to:
Weave it into the story/make it relevant
Give a title
Try and use 6-8 words or phrases from the articles
